Blog Post #2

The central message was very clear in Professor Dancealot. The video illustrates how practice is imperative in order for a student to learn. Simply attending class and taking notes isn't always the best approach to understanding a concept. In the video, students were never given the opportunity to practice the skills they were being taught. Therefore, they were not attentive in class, and they were not able to perform well when it came time to take the final test. I believe the conclusion for this video is that students need hands-on experience in order to retain knowledge, and I definitely agree. After watching this video, I see how effective project-based learning will be for EDM 310.

In Kevin Robert's presentation of Teaching in the 21st Century, he explains how teachers need to be up to date with the growth of technology. In the video, he wrote something that really stuck out to me. He said, "Teachers are not the main source of knowledge. We are the filter." In today's society, information is available to you instantly at all times. The video made me think about where I obtain the majority of my information. If I ever have a question, 9 times out of 10 I will pull out my phone and Google the subject. The students I teach will be no different, and they will have no limits on what information they will be able to access. Based on the change in technology over the years, I know that I will be teaching in a very different way than I was taught growing up. As a teacher, it will be important for me to incorporate technological skills in my class to be relevant and keep my students engaged.

Robert also stresses the fact that students should be learning skills, not trying to regurgitate random facts. I do think some facts are important, and they should be taught. At the same time, it is equally important to teach students how to analyze and apply the facts they have learned. With technology, I believe this will be easier to do. As stated in the video, technology has proved to provide meaningful and powerful student engagement. In my opinion, technology will be very beneficial in a 21st century classroom.

The Networked Student also showed me how crucial it will be to include technology in my classroom on a daily basis. Although my students will have virtually limitless information at their fingertips, they will still rely on me as their teacher to guide them in the right direction. As the video states, it will be my responsibility to encourage my students to take advantage of every opportunity, teach them how to judge what content is considered reliable, and how to communicate properly in their networks. Our world is advancing at a fast pace, and it is important as an educator to be able to adapt.

In Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts, Vicki Davis demonstrates how pens and paper are not the most effective tools for the classroom anymore. She discusses how students learn so much more by finding it for themselves. Her students were working together to solve problems, and they were able to teach each other new things. I think having students help other students is very beneficial in the long run. Sometimes, it is easier for a student to learn from a fellow classmate than from the teacher. I agree with Davis' teaching methods because she adapts herself and her teaching materials to the students' educational needs.

I'm learning many new ideas and perspectives from this class already. Flipping the Classroom opened my eyes to a new way of teaching, and it seems like it will be very helpful in the classroom. There are many benefits to the students being able to watch the lessons from home. For example, parents will be able to get involved in their child's learning process. Also, if the children come into class with a preconceived understanding of the subject, I believe it will help the teachers tremendously. It will not only save time in class, but it will give the students access to the teacher's instruction from home. This way, a student can go directly to the teacher or use the tools given to them on the computer if they are struggling in a particular area. I think this new approach to teaching will be very useful to me as an educator.